TAKE A SEAT

Brian EdwardsCHICAGO TRIBUNE

Roger and Cathy Burton are living in one of those transitional periods right now, and have two sets of furniture to show for it. They own one. The other is rented.

Having moved from Tampa with children Scott, 10, and Sari, 7, the Burtons are currently renting a Libertyville townhouse while they wait for their nearby home to be built. Rather than move their Florida furnishings north, the Burtons opted to rent furniture while they rent the townhome.

"A lot of our furniture down there is very Florida-ish-lots of pastels and that-so we don't think it will really fit in our new home. And it didn't make sense to move it north and try to sell it here," says Cathy Burton.

Instead, the Burtons intend to buy new furniture once their new home is finished, and they are offering to sell the southern set of sofas and such with the Tampa home. In the meantime, they're making do with the rented furniture.

"Actually, it serves the purpose as far as convenience, and the price is right," Cathy says, noting that her only complaint is the faint smell of smoke that emanates from the couch. "It would be wonderful if they had non-smoker's furniture."

While many people probably don't suspect they'll ever rent furniture, periods of transition, brought on by moves for personal or professional reasons as well as by catastrophes such as home fires or other natural disasters, can make renting furniture either a prudent choice or a necessity.

"If someone is going through a transition and there's uncertainty in their life, rental may be more sensible than purchase," says Erling Smedvig, vice president of Elk Grove-based Brook Furniture Rental, which says it is the third-largest furniture rental company nationwide.

Flexibility, speed

Renting furniture and accessories offers the key advantages of flexibility and speed, says Smedvig. Many furniture rental companies can "literally turn an apartment into a model home in 48 hours," according to Smedvig. "And that includes lights bulbs in the sockets, matching towels and linens . . . whatever the customer would want."

Of course, such speed and service comes at a slight premium. But renting furniture over the short term doesn't have to put a long-term dent in your cash flow. Knowing the fees and rules associated with furniture rental, and shopping around, can save you time, money and frustration, industry experts say.

In some ways, renting furniture may not seem far removed from renting an apartment. Renters pick out the goods, pay a month's security deposit and then pay rent on the item every month thereafter. Minimum lease length is usually three months.

But furniture renters need to be aware of add-on costs that can run up the tab. Common add-on fees include a monthly waiver-of-liability fee for damages; one-time distribution fees ranging from $50 to 40 percent of your monthly rent to pay for the delivery and eventual pickup; late payment fees; and, in some cases, sales tax.

Still, "people shouldn't be afraid of furniture renting," says Evanston-based property manager Carol Mitchell, who hooks some of her building tenants up with furniture rentals.

With her building's proximity to Northwestern University, Mitchell began offering furniture rental instead of furnished apartments with company-owned furniture as a marketing necessity a few years ago. "We were getting requests for furnished apartments and it seemed like every time we needed a furnished apartment, we wouldn't have the furniture," Mitchell says.

Instead, Mitchell now offers her building's tenants the option to rent furniture and adds the monthly furniture tab onto the tenants' lease figure. Tenants pay the pickup/delivery fees, often referred to as distribution fees, and a security deposit on the furniture upfront, and then pay the monthly rent.

The average studio in her building costs about $60 to $85 per month to furnish with the basics-a full-size bed, double dresser, drop-leaf table and two chairs, nightstand and lamp, Mitchell says.

The cost of furnishing an average one-bedroom apartment can range from $150 to $500 per month, depending on one's personal tastes, the rental companies say. Two-bedroom costs range from $200 to $700 per month in the Chicago area.

The costs

Monthly rents on individual furniture items range from about $2.50 for a low-end headboard up to $150 for a top-of-the line sectional sofa. Some regularly rented items and monthly rents include: sofas ($10 and up); love seats ($10 to $65); sofa sleepers ($20 to $70); dining room sets ($8 to $140); dressers ($14 to $60); beds ($10 to $40) and nightstands ($5 to $25).

Many local furniture rental stores also rent accessories such as linens and towels, as well as TVs, VCRs, microwaves and other appliances that lease for $25 to $40 a month.

Shop around for rental furniture, industry experts advise. While most furniture renters are looking for a quick and painless way to satisfy a temporary need, a bit of comparison shopping can help ease costs and headaches.

In comparing quality of furniture, costs and leases, be sure to compare "apples to apples," says Jim Bannister, executive director of the Furniture Rental Association of America. One dealer may offer a considerably lower price on a couch, for example, because the quality of the piece is much lower.

Similarly, always be sure that price comparison is based on the same lease length and terms, Bannister says.

Let the furniture rental agent know what your timetable is right upfront, Bannister says. As a rule, most furniture rental stores can deliver within 48 hours, he says, and you can save yourself time and frustration by asking: "Can I get all the items that you're showing me right now within 48 hours or within the timetable I've set?"

Check to see that the furniture rental outlet offers a flexible return policy, advises property manager Mitchell. If you take a piece home and decide you don't like it after a few days, most rental outlets will allow you to switch the piece for a nominal fee.

However, if you use the item for several weeks or months, then want to switch the item, regular fees are likely to be charged.

Because many people rent furniture for the first time after fires, floods or other catastrophes, a quick check of the homeowner's insurance policy might be in order. Furniture rental is covered in many insurance policies under "additional living expenses," though some policies have dollar or length-of-time limitations. Many claims departments will even make referrals to local furniture renters.

"I would absolutely look for an additional living expenses clause in the insurance contract and make sure that it covers furniture rental," says one North Side insurance agent. "Even if your home isn't livable because of a fire or flood, you're still paying the mortgage on it, so it's definitely important to know that you'll be able to take care of interim living situations like an apartment or rental furniture."